RESOURCES

Weathering the storm: Adolescent girls and climate change

The gender dimension of climate change is gaining a greater profile in the global debate. Yet the double jeopardy brought by gender and age remains largely ignored. The young woman quoted above speaks for countless others living on the frontline of climate change in many countries across the world.

But her concerns are not yet the concerns of those who wield power and make decisions. In raising awareness of the realities facing girls exposed to climate risks, this report seeks to inform decision-makers and policy analysts in countries facing the pressures of climate change, as well as those directing policy and determining funding at the international level. The escalation of climate risks we are experiencing effects both developed and developing countries, men, women, the elderly and the young. However it is clear from ongoing research and from the primary evidence collected for this report from girls living in Ethiopia and Bangladesh that increased climate stress is exposing a growing number of girls and young women to very specific risks. More girls and women are dying during disasters, an increasing number are enduring early and forced marriages, and more girls are being exposed to sexual violence and the curtailment of their education.